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Habibey R, Rojo Arias JE, Striebel J, Busskamp V. Microfluidics for Neuronal Cell and Circuit Engineering. Chem Rev 2022; 122:14842-14880. [PMID: 36070858 PMCID: PMC9523714 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The widespread adoption of microfluidic devices among the neuroscience and neurobiology communities has enabled addressing a broad range of questions at the molecular, cellular, circuit, and system levels. Here, we review biomedical engineering approaches that harness the power of microfluidics for bottom-up generation of neuronal cell types and for the assembly and analysis of neural circuits. Microfluidics-based approaches are instrumental to generate the knowledge necessary for the derivation of diverse neuronal cell types from human pluripotent stem cells, as they enable the isolation and subsequent examination of individual neurons of interest. Moreover, microfluidic devices allow to engineer neural circuits with specific orientations and directionality by providing control over neuronal cell polarity and permitting the isolation of axons in individual microchannels. Similarly, the use of microfluidic chips enables the construction not only of 2D but also of 3D brain, retinal, and peripheral nervous system model circuits. Such brain-on-a-chip and organoid-on-a-chip technologies are promising platforms for studying these organs as they closely recapitulate some aspects of in vivo biological processes. Microfluidic 3D neuronal models, together with 2D in vitro systems, are widely used in many applications ranging from drug development and toxicology studies to neurological disease modeling and personalized medicine. Altogether, microfluidics provide researchers with powerful systems that complement and partially replace animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jesús Eduardo Rojo Arias
- Wellcome─MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
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Jammes F, Schmidt J, Coukos G, Maerkl SJ. High-Throughput Single-Cell TCR-pMHC Dissociation Rate Measurements Performed by an Autonomous Microfluidic Cellular Processing Unit. ACS Sens 2022; 7:159-165. [PMID: 35006683 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c01935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We developed an integrated microfluidic cellular processing unit (mCPU) capable of autonomously isolating single cells and performing measurements and on-the-fly analysis of cell-surface dissociation rates, followed by recovery of selected cells. We performed proof-of-concept, high-throughput single-cell experiments characterizing pMHC-TCR interactions on live CD8+ T cells. The mCPU platform analyzed TCR-pMHC dissociation rates with a throughput of 50 cells per hour and hundreds of cells per run, and we demonstrate that cells can be selected, enriched, and easily recovered from the device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Jammes
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Schmidt
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 1066 Lausanne, & Department of Oncology University of Lausanne & University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), 1066 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 1066 Lausanne, & Department of Oncology University of Lausanne & University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), 1066 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian J. Maerkl
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Qin N, Zhao P, Ho EA, Xin G, Ren CL. Microfluidic Technology for Antibacterial Resistance Study and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing: Review and Perspective. ACS Sens 2021; 6:3-21. [PMID: 33337870 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c02175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A review on microfluidic technology for antibacterial resistance study and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is presented here. Antibiotic resistance has become a global health crisis in recent decades, severely threatening public health, patient care, economic growth, and even national security. It is extremely urgent that antibiotic resistance be well looked into and aggressively combated in order for us to survive this crisis. AST has been routinely utilized in determining bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics and identifying potential resistance. Yet conventional methods for AST are increasingly incompetent due to unsatisfactory test speed, high cost, and deficient reliability. Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful and very promising platform technology that has proven capable of addressing the limitation of conventional methods and advancing AST to a new level. Besides, potential technical challenges that are likely to hinder the development of microfluidic technology aimed at AST are observed and discussed. To conclude, it is noted that (1) the translation of microfluidic innovations from laboratories to be ready AST platforms remains a lengthy journey and (2) ensuring all relevant parties engaged in a collaborative and unified mode is foundational to the successful incubation of commercial microfluidic platforms for AST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Qin
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Pei Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Emmanuel A. Ho
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 1C5, Canada
| | - Gongming Xin
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250061, China
| | - Carolyn L. Ren
- Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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Pan X, Zhang X. Utility of circulating tumor cells and DNA in the management of advanced colorectal cancer. Future Oncol 2020; 16:1289-1299. [PMID: 32379501 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2020-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Clinical management of colorectal cancer is challenging. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and DNA (ctDNA) are investigated to detect key KRAS mutation and for prognosis for risk stratifications. Materials & methods: 200 advance-stage patients with metastatic disease were selected and followed-up. Serial blood draws were used to quantify CTCs and ctDNA. Results: Both CTCs and ctDNA are strongly associated with colorectal cancer patients. The positive predictive values were 96.5 and 96.3% among CTCs and ctDNA, respectively, for all 200 patients using KRAS mutation. Specificity for healthy controls was 100%. As a prognosis indicator, results demonstrated that patients who had positive CTCs and plasma DNA had worse outcomes. Conclusion: Blood-based assessment of colorectal cancer shows promising results in early-risk stratifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Pan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jingzhou Central Hospital, the Clinical Second Clinical Medical College of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, Renmin Road 1, Jingzhou, 434020, PR China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jingzhou Central Hospital, the Clinical Second Clinical Medical College of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, Renmin Road 1, Jingzhou, 434020, PR China
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Lim WK, Mathuru AS. Design, challenges, and the potential of transcriptomics to understand social behavior. Curr Zool 2020; 66:321-330. [PMID: 32684913 PMCID: PMC7357267 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid advances in Ribonucleic Acid sequencing (or RNA-seq) technology for analyzing entire transcriptomes of desired tissue samples, or even of single cells at scale, have revolutionized biology in the past decade. Increasing accessibility and falling costs are making it possible to address many problems in biology that were once considered intractable, including the study of various social behaviors. RNA-seq is opening new avenues to understand long-standing questions on the molecular basis of behavioral plasticity and individual variation in the expression of a behavior. As whole transcriptomes are examined, it has become possible to make unbiased discoveries of underlying mechanisms with little or no necessity to predict genes involved in advance. However, researchers need to be aware of technical limitations and have to make specific decisions when applying RNA-seq to study social behavior. Here, we provide a perspective on the applications of RNA-seq and experimental design considerations for behavioral scientists who are unfamiliar with the technology but are considering using it in their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Kin Lim
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore
| | - Ajay S Mathuru
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore.,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLL), National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Guzniczak E, Jimenez M, Irwin M, Otto O, Willoughby N, Bridle H. Impact of poloxamer 188 (Pluronic F-68) additive on cell mechanical properties, quantification by real-time deformability cytometry. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:044118. [PMID: 30867863 PMCID: PMC6404947 DOI: 10.1063/1.5040316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Advances in cellular therapies have led to the development of new approaches for cell product purification and formulation, e.g., utilizing cell endogenous properties such as size and deformability as a basis for separation from potentially harmful undesirable by-products. However, commonly used additives such as Pluronic F-68 and other poloxamer macromolecules can change the mechanical properties of cells and consequently alter their processing. In this paper, we quantified the short-term effect of Pluronic F-68 on the mechanotype of three different cell types (Jurkat cells, red blood cells, and human embryonic kidney cells) using real-time deformability cytometry. The impact of the additive concentration was assessed in terms of cell size and deformability. We observed that cells respond progressively to the presence of Pluronic F-68 within first 3 h of incubation and become significantly stiffer (p-value < 0.001) in comparison to a serum-free control and a control containing serum. We also observed that the short-term response manifested as cell stiffening is true (p-value < 0.001) for the concentration reaching 1% (w/v) of the poloxamer additive in tested buffers. Additionally, using flow cytometry, we assessed that changes in cell deformability triggered by addition of Pluronic F-68 are not accompanied by size or viability alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Guzniczak
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Jimenez
- School of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Division, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Irwin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Otto
- ZIK HIKE, Centre for Innovation Competence - Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Diseases, Biomechanics, University of Greifswald, Fleischmannstraße 42-44, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nicholas Willoughby
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Bridle
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
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Kang N, Guo Q, Islamzada E, Ma H, Scott MD. Microfluidic determination of lymphocyte vascular deformability: effects of intracellular complexity and early immune activation. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 10:207-217. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00191f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite the critical importance of mechanical (rheological + extrudability) deformability in the vascular flow of lymphocytes, it has been poorly investigated due to the limitations of existing technological tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Kang
- Centre for Innovation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Life Sciences Centre
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Quan Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- University of British Columbia
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Emel Islamzada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- University of British Columbia
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Hongshen Ma
- Centre for Innovation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Life Sciences Centre
- Vancouver
- Canada
| | - Mark D. Scott
- Centre for Innovation
- Canadian Blood Services
- Life Sciences Centre
- Vancouver
- Canada
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Collins DJ, Neild A, deMello A, Liu AQ, Ai Y. The Poisson distribution and beyond: methods for microfluidic droplet production and single cell encapsulation. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:3439-59. [PMID: 26226550 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00614g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
There is a recognized and growing need for rapid and efficient cell assays, where the size of microfluidic devices lend themselves to the manipulation of cellular populations down to the single cell level. An exceptional way to analyze cells independently is to encapsulate them within aqueous droplets surrounded by an immiscible fluid, so that reagents and reaction products are contained within a controlled microenvironment. Most cell encapsulation work has focused on the development and use of passive methods, where droplets are produced continuously at high rates by pumping fluids from external pressure-driven reservoirs through defined microfluidic geometries. With limited exceptions, the number of cells encapsulated per droplet in these systems is dictated by Poisson statistics, reducing the proportion of droplets that contain the desired number of cells and thus the effective rate at which single cells can be encapsulated. Nevertheless, a number of recently developed actively-controlled droplet production methods present an alternative route to the production of droplets at similar rates and with the potential to improve the efficiency of single-cell encapsulation. In this critical review, we examine both passive and active methods for droplet production and explore how these can be used to deterministically and non-deterministically encapsulate cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Collins
- Engineering Product Design pillar, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore.
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Lab-on-chip cytometry based on magnetoresistive sensors for bacteria detection in milk. SENSORS 2014; 14:15496-524. [PMID: 25196163 PMCID: PMC4179045 DOI: 10.3390/s140815496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Flow cytometers have been optimized for use in portable platforms, where cell separation, identification and counting can be achieved in a compact and modular format. This feature can be combined with magnetic detection, where magnetoresistive sensors can be integrated within microfluidic channels to detect magnetically labelled cells. This work describes a platform for in-flow detection of magnetically labelled cells with a magneto-resistive based cell cytometer. In particular, we present an example for the validation of the platform as a magnetic counter that identifies and quantifies Streptococcus agalactiae in milk.
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Avesar J, Arye TB, Levenberg S. Frontier microfluidic techniques for short and long-term single cell analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:2161-7. [PMID: 24671389 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00013g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review the frontier microfluidic techniques for single cell analysis (SCA), which is important for research of many biological systems. Microfluidics provides high-throughput, high-resolution experiments at low cost and reagent use, making it especially useful for single cell analysis. Recent advancements in the field have made SCA more feasible, improving device throughput and resolution, adding capabilities, and combining different functions to bring forth new assays. Developments in incubation have allowed for long-term cell tracking assays to be performed with single cell resolution. The ability of systems to provide chemical isolation or prolonged growth of adherent cells is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Avesar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel 32000.
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